Have you ever found yourself frustrated when querying a table with a wide column, only to see only part of the result in Query Analyzer? If so, you’re not alone. By default, Query Analyzer only returns the first 255 characters of a query result. While this may not be a big deal for quick results, there are times when you need to see the entire value, such as when parsing a 500 character field. Fortunately, there is an option in Query Analyzer to change the size of each field that you see, allowing you to view the complete result set.

To change the size of the result sets in Query Analyzer, simply go to Tools | Options and then the “Results” tab. From there, you can adjust the size from the default of 256 to any number that suits your needs. This feature is particularly useful when performance tuning and you need to see more than 256 characters of the execution plan.

Another handy trick in Query Analyzer is the use of tool shortcuts. These shortcuts allow you to quickly run repetitive commands or tasks that you find yourself typing over and over again. For example, if you frequently need to run the “sp_who” command, you can simply type “CTRL+1” and the results pane will display the output of the command. Query Analyzer includes spaces for 12 shortcuts, with 3 pre-defined shortcuts that cannot be changed. The rest of the shortcuts can be customized to run any command you desire using the “Tools | Customize” menu option.

In addition to tool shortcuts, Query Analyzer also supports the use of templates. Templates are snippets of code that can be easily dragged and dropped into your code pane from the object browser. These templates are stored as plain text files with a .TQL extension in the “c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Templates\SQL Query Analyzer” directory. To create a template, simply enter the desired SQL code in the code pane and save it as a .TQL file in the specified location. Once saved, the template will appear in the Object Browser under the “templates” tab and can be easily dragged and dropped into the code pane.

One particularly useful feature of templates is the ability to include replaceable parameters. These parameters allow you to customize the code snippet each time you use the template. For example, you can create a stored procedure template with parameters for the procedure name and author name. When you drag and drop the template into the code pane, you can use the “CTRL+Shift+M” shortcut to replace the parameter values with your desired values. This allows you to quickly generate code outlines without having to manually modify each instance of the parameter.

By utilizing these features in Query Analyzer, you can significantly improve your efficiency and productivity when working with SQL Server. Whether it’s adjusting the size of result sets, using tool shortcuts for repetitive tasks, or leveraging templates with replaceable parameters, these tips and tricks can save you time and effort in your daily SQL Server development tasks.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more tips and tricks in our next blog post!

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